The impact of land use on the credibility of dispersive clay soils in central and southern Italy

Abstract. Tracts of dispersive Plio-Pleistocene clays in central and southern Italy suffer from severe erosion, which has led to the creation of badlands characterized by 'calanchi'(unvegetated knife-edge ridges) and 'bian-cane'(cone-shaped hummocks). In recent decades, large areas of this eroded land have been reclaimed for arable cultivation by remodelling the landscape with heavy earth moving equipment. This exposes the clay to erosive rainfall. Wet aggregate strength was used to assess those physical and chemical properties that govern the erodibility of the clays. Regression analysis demonstrated that the most significant variables in predicting soil erodibility were the % organic matter and the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Threshold values of 1–2% and 3–4% organic matter were obtained, dependent on the method of pre-wetting. Reclaimed land is on the borderline of these thresholds and therefore at risk of erosion. Nevertheless, the stability of reclaimed land is significantly higher than that of the badland parent material, ascribable to a lower ESP. Careful land management is required to avoid a recurrence of erosion and the reestablishment of badlands.     

降雨过程中碱性坡耕地土壤侵蚀的研究

坡地土壤侵蚀的治理是水土保持工作的主要任务之一。为了研究碱性坡耕地土壤在降雨过程中的入渗和侵蚀特性,该试验采用室内人工降雨模拟器方法对两种不同碱度的壤质黄土在不同坡度条件下的入渗和侵蚀进行了调查。试验土壤的可交换钠百分比(ESP)分别为2.8和52.0,土壤表面坡度为5%～25%。试验数据显示,在降雨过程中,土壤的入渗能力随ESP的减小或表面坡度的增大而增加,土壤的可侵蚀性随土壤ESP或表面坡度的增大而增加。两种ESP的土壤在各种表面坡度情况下的土壤累积侵蚀量随累积降雨量直线增加,并随土壤坡度的增大而增加。但当土壤坡度大于15%时,高ESP土壤的累积侵蚀量随土壤坡度的增加远大于低ESP土壤的增加。USLE经验公式较好地预测了低ESP土壤的坡度系数,但不能精确计算高ESP土壤的坡度系数。由于土壤细沟侵蚀的发生,WEPP模型低估了两种ESP壤在大坡度情况下的坡度系数。     

Soil erosion and changes in the physical properties of Lithuanian Eutric Albeluvisols under different land use systems

Abstract

The investigations aimed to: 1) evaluate water erosion rates on undulating slopes in Lithuania under different land use systems; 2) study changes in soil physical properties on the differently eroded slopes; and 3) better understand relationships between soil physical properties and soil erodibility. Research data were obtained on loamy sand and clay loam Eutric Albeluvisols located on the undulating hilly relief of the ?emai?iai Uplands of Western Lithuania. The results of 18 years of water erosion investigations under different land use systems on slopes of varying steepness are presented. Attention is focused on changes in soil physical properties in relation to soil erosion severity. Measured water erosion rates in the field experiments were: 3.2–8.6 m³ ha^?1 yr^?1 under winter rye, 9.0–27.1 m³ ha^?1 yr^?1 under spring barley and 24.2–87.1 m³ ha^?1 yr^?1 under potatoes. Perennial grasses completely prevented water erosion, while erosion-preventive grass-grain crop rotations (67% grasses, 33% cereal grains) decreased soil losses by 75–80% compared to the field crop rotation, containing 17% tillage crops (potatoes), 33% grasses and 50% cereal grains. The grain-grass crop rotation (33% grasses and 67% cereal grains) decreased soil erosion rates by 23–24%. The percentage of clay-silt and clay fractions of arable soil horizons increased, while the total soil porosity and moisture retention capacity decreased with increased soil erosion. Phytocenoses, including sod-forming perennial grasses and grass-grain crop rotations, led to changes in the physical properties of eroded soils; soil bulk density decreased and percentage total porosity and moisture retention capacity increased. The grass-grain crop rotations increased the water-stable soil structure (measured as water-stable soil aggregates) by 11.03 per cent units and sod-forming perennial grasses increased aggregate stability by 9.86 per cent units compared with the grain-grass crop rotation on the 10–14° slope. Therefore, grass-grain crop rotations and sod-forming perennial grasses decreased soil erodibility and thus could assist both erosion control and the ecological stability of the vulnerable hilly-undulating landscape.     

模拟降雨条件下碱性坡地土壤侵蚀试验

 采用室内人工降丨射模拟试验,研究降雨强度为50 mm/h时不问坡度（5°、15°、25°)和不同土壤（土壤的可交换钠比例ESP值分别为2.4和25)对土壤人渗率和侵蚀缺的影响。结果表明：1)不问坡度和不同土壤的径流模数随降雨历时急剧增加,后于平稳,人渗率和侵蚀产沙量随降雨历时急剧减小,趋于某一稳定值;2) 土壤ESP值水平一定时,入渗率和累计人渗量都随着坡度的增大而增加,侵蚀产沙坩随笤坡度的增大先增加后减小,在15° -25°之间存在着侵蚀的临界坡度;3)坡度一定时,径流模数随着 ESP值的增加而增加,稳定人渗率和累计人渗量随卷ESP值的增加而减小;4) 土壤的ESP值水平对侵蚀产沙量的影响随坡度不同而不同,坡度为5°和15°时,同一坡度的侵蚀产沙量随ESP值的加大而减小,当坡度为25°时,核蚀产沙量随ESP值的加大而增大,说明坡度较大时,土壤ESP值的增大更容易引起土壤侵蚀。     

Integrating biophysical and socio‐economic aspects of soil conservation on the Loess Plateau,China. Part II. Productivity impact and economic costs of erosion

Using the simulation model described in Part I, this paper examines the impact of erosion on soil productivity, how the impact varies according to initial soil conditions and organic matter management and the economic cost of erosion measured as net present value. The reference crop is winter wheat grown in Chunhua in the southern Loess Plateau. Biomass yield is plotted over 100 years for four erosion scenarios represented by 0, 9, 27 and 47 per cent slopes, three initial soil conditions indicated by 0·5, 1 and 2 per cent organic matter, and two management levels determined by high or low levels of reincorporation of organic residues. Calculations of soil productive half‐life (time to half initial yield) and whole‐life (to equilibrial yield) are presented. The principal findings are that decline in soil productivity is caused by both erosion and insufficient return of organic matter. By increasing organic matter input, erosion damage is offset and soil productive life prolonged, but this is a costly strategy. If yield decline caused by erosion is isolated, erosion control is more important on a high organic matter input system. A maximum soil productive half‐life of 600 years is achieved with no erosion, high initial organic matter and return of organic residues; minimum half‐life of 10 years is with high erosion, low initial organic matter and little return of residues. In between, there are complicated interactions that significantly affect the economic cost of erosion and hence the decisions farmers make in investing in conservation practices. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and its consequences in India's semiarid tropics

This paper investigates farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and how it affects crop yields, land values, and private conservation investments in India's semiarid tropics. It is based on three types of data: (1) a survey of farmers in three study villages; (2) a plot survey by a professional soil surveyor in the same villages; and (3) experimental and simulated data from nearby research stations with similar conditions. Farmers' perceptions of erosion are compared to the surveyor's using kappa, a statistical measure of interrater agreement. Perceived erosion–yield relationships are estimated econometrically and compared to experimental and simulated data. Effects on land values and conservation investments are estimated econometrically. Findings suggest that farmers are keenly aware of rill erosion but less aware of sheet erosion; kappa values ranging from 0 to 0·28 suggest low agreement with the soil surveyor. They anticipate annual yield losses of 5·8–11 per cent due to rill erosion; these figures are reasonably consistent with those from nearby research stations. They anticipate yield increases of 3·8–14·5 per cent due to installation of soil conservation bunds, largely because they can harvest soil from up the slope and capture organic matter. Perceived erosion has some effect on land values and soil conservation investments, but other factors such as irrigation and soil type have a much greater effect. These findings suggest that promoting soil conservation requires capitalizing on farmers' interest in short‐term gains, such as from water and nutrient management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing spatial variability and erosion susceptibility of soils in hilly agricultural areas in Southern Italy

Soil erosion is one of the main environmental problems in the Mediterranean area. This problem is becoming even more important especially in Italy, in the Apennines, where severe erosive processes occur due to the action of concentrated running water. The erodibility (K-Factor) of a soil, estimated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), is a measure of its susceptibility to erosion and depends on several soil properties such as organic matter, texture and permeability and structure.To assess the spatial variability of soil properties and soil erodibility in hilly agricultural areas and to investigate the relationships between soil features and landscape morphodynamics, a detailed study in Molise region (southern Italy), in a small drainange basin located along its hilly Adriatic flank, was carried out. In this catchment, 63 topsoil samples (A horizons) were collected and 10 soil profiles, forming a catena crossing 3 land units, were sampled. The calculated K-Factors ranges between 0.012 and 0.048 t ha h ha⁻¹ MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹ indicating a complex spatial distribution, due to the several local pedological and geomorphological factors affecting soil erodibility. The results give clear evidence about the relationships among soil characteristics, soil erodibility and landscape morpho-dynamics (land units).Comparing the soil loss rates estimated for the study area with those reported in literature, a good correspondence can be observed only for the more stable land unit, not characterized by intense erosive processes. The proposed methodology is suitable to highlight areas characterized by similar morphodynamics features, and comparable soil erodibility, for a more effective spatialization of K factor.     

土地退化/恢复中土壤可蚀性动态变化

利用EPIC公式计算了不同开垦和退耕年限的土壤可蚀性K值,对黄土高原典型自然恢复区子午岭林区土地退化/恢复过程中土壤可蚀性的动态变化进行了系统的研究。结果表明：土地开垦后,土壤颗粒向粗骨化方向发展,有机碳含量降低,土壤可蚀性逐渐增强;土地退耕过程中,土壤有机碳含量逐渐增加,肥力水平提高,可蚀性逐渐减小;土壤中有机碳含量、全氮含量、水稳性团聚体含量以及团聚度与土壤可蚀性K值相关最为密切;土壤可蚀性的强弱本质上取决于土壤有机碳含量,恢复植被以提高土壤有机质含量,促进土壤团聚体的形成,增强土壤团聚度,是降低土壤可蚀性能的重要途径。     

Soil loss and runoff on semiarid land as amended with urban solid refuse

Organic amendment is a proved method of improving soil physical properties thus affecting runoff and soil erosion. Urban wastes are a potential source of organic matter and their use would also be a convenient way of disposing of them. A field experiment was conducted from October 1988 to September 1993 in a semiarid Mediterranean site to determine the effect of applying several rates (65, 130, 195 and 260 Mg ha⁻¹) of organic urban solid refuse (USR) on total runoff and soil loss. At the lowest rate, total runoff decreased by 67 per cent compared to the control plot. The decrease was 98 per cent when the highest rate was used. The lowest rate reduced total sediment loss by 81 per cent and the highest rate of 99 per cent. The decrease in soil erodibility at the different USR rates varied from 76 to 95 per cent depending on the year for the lowest rate and between 90 and 99 per cent for the other rates. Clear differences in the hydrologic and erosion responses were found between the eight initial rainfall events (during the first 10 months of the experiment) and the remainder of the events. The causes of such differences were due to the initial tillage of the soil by rotovation and the growth of natural vegetation in the treated plots. The mechanical effect of tillage reduced runoff and increased soil erodibility, although the effect was short‐lived. The addition of USR reduced runoff but lasted longer. An applied rate of 90–100 Mg ha⁻¹ could be considered suitable for application in semiarid zones. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北京市延庆县不同土地利用方式下的土壤可蚀性研究

以北京市延庆县上辛庄小流域为研究区域,选择区内农地、杏林、侧柏林、乔灌混交林这4种土地利用方式,通过对土壤水稳性团聚体特征、有机质含量变化以及土壤可蚀性K值进行计算和分析,研究了该区不同土地利用方式下的土壤可蚀性差异特征。结果表明,不同地类土壤团聚体破坏率表现为:农地>杏林>侧柏林>乔灌混交林,林地土壤团聚体结构破坏率显著低于农地(p < 0.05)。农地土壤有机质含量随土层深度的增加呈现一定的上升趋势,林地的土壤有机质含量随土层深度的增加而减小。不同土地利用方式的土壤可蚀性K值存在差异,表现为:乔灌混交林<侧柏林<杏林<农地。表层0-20cm土层土壤可蚀性K值小于20-40cm土层,表明其土壤抗侵蚀能力高于深层土壤,反映出保护表层土壤的重要性。对土壤可蚀性影响因子的分析结果表明,土壤黏粒含量、有机质含量和水稳性团聚体与土壤可蚀性K值的相关关系最为密切(p < 0.05)。     

利用~(137)Cs技术研究土壤可蚀性的时空变异(英文)

土壤可蚀性的研究变异性是当代土壤侵蚀预测预报研究的核心。本综述了土壤可蚀性变异性研究的进展及存在的问题,提出了利用＾１３７Ｃｓ法定量测定土壤可蚀性时空变异的新技术。     

Modelling soil organic matter decomposition and rainfall erosion in two tropical soils after forest clearing for permanent agriculture

A soil organic matter turnover model has been developed to analyse soil carbon (soil organic-C) loss caused by organic matter decomposition and rainfall erosion in soils used for permanent cultivation. It has been used to build up model profiles of five soils, one occurring in temperate and four in tropical regions, on the basis of estimates for ‘natural’ organic matter input. Organic matter input data for different systems of cultivation were used to model the long-term decomposition of soil organic-C in these model profiles. The modelling results show that soil organic matter decomposition in the tropics is three to four times faster than in temperate regions, and that there is a marked influence of soil type and soil climate. Simulated losses of organic-C in the tropical soils, not accounting for erosion are 31 to 50 per cent after 50 years and 43 to 63 per cent after 100 years of continuous cultivation. The simulated loss of soil organic-C when rainfall erosion is also allowed for is 40 to 80 per cent. Erosion caused an extra loss of at least 7 per cent after 100 years. The initial input of charcoal from forest burning is lost through erosion at a rate of 50 to almost 100 per cent, depending on the severity of erosion. The sensitivity of modelling results to variations in input data was also analysed. The losses of soil carbon were also used to calculate the global flux of CO₂ from soils. Soils are probably a small but not negligible source of CO₂.     

东北丘陵漫岗区坡耕地土壤抗蚀性研究

采用室内分析与野外试验测定相结合的方法,对研究区坡耕地土壤理化性状和土壤崩解速率进行了分析,并采用EPIC(土壤侵蚀和生产力影响估算)模型计算了土壤可蚀性因子K值,研究了东北丘陵漫岗区坡耕地抗蚀性分布特征。结果表明:(1)该区土壤容重的变化趋势为:0—5cm土层<20—25cm土层<40—45cm土层,坡下部<坡上部,7°<10°。土壤有机质含量变化趋势相反,中值粒径无明显变化规律。(2)土壤崩解速率随土层深度增加而逐渐增大,它与土壤容重和有机质相关性较好。容重越小,有机质含量越高,崩解速率越小。(3)土壤崩解速率随坡度和坡位变化规律一般表现为:坡上部>坡下部,7°<10°。(4)该区坡耕地土壤可蚀性K值处于0.20～0.40之间,土壤抗蚀性能较弱,应加强土壤抗侵蚀研究及水土流失方面的防治工作。     

Factors controlling aggregation in a minimum and a conventionally tilled undulating field

Wind and water erosion induce breakdown of soil aggregates and loss of soil organic matter. Whereas most of the relations between aggregation and its driving factors have been established on a plot scale, these relations might be very different within an undulating landscape where both erosion (by wind or water) and deposition occur. The aim of this study was to investigate to what degree spatial patterns in soil variables influence spatial patterns in aggregation under different tillage intensities. We studied an agricultural field of about 3 ha in the silty region of Belgium. The site was split into a conventional tillage (CT) and a minimum tillage (MT) system. Within the field, 396 geo‐referenced surface soil samples (0–5 cm) were taken and analyzed for organic matter content, quantity of aggregates and a number of other soil properties. Under CT, 28.5% of the total sample variation was explained by the occurrence of depositional areas, 20.8% by the amount of soil organic matter, and 13.8% by the presence of a clay‐rich B horizon which surfaced due to progressive water and tillage erosion. Regression analysis revealed that 27% of the variation in the quantity of macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) was accounted for by these three factors. Under MT, 27.1% of the total sample variation was related to the surface cover of Tertiary sand, 22.6% to the amount of soil organic matter, and 13% to erodibility. These three factors explained 53% of the variation in the quantity of macroaggregates. In the CT system, the correlation between grass‐ or maize‐ carbon and the quantity of macroaggregates was strongly linked to erodibility, while this was not the case in the MT system. We concluded that at this site, macroaggregation is dominated by landscape‐scale processes (such as water or tillage erosion) rather than determined by the commonly considered local variables (such as small variations in texture or organic matter content).     

Land use and soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: some socio‐economic considerations on China's Grain‐for‐Green Programme

Soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China is a major concern and the Central Government has initiated the Grain‐for‐Green Programme to convert farmland to forests and grassland to improve the environment. This paper analyses the relationship between land use and soil erosion in Zhongjiang, a typical agricultural county of Sichuan Province located in areas with severe soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In our analysis, we use the ArcGIS spatial analysis module with detailed land‐use data as well as data on slope conditions and soil erosion. Our research shows that the most serious soil erosion is occurring on agricultural land with a slope of 10∼25 degrees. Both farmland and permanent crops are affected by soil erosion, with almost the same percentage of soil erosion for corresponding slope conditions. Farmland with soil erosion accounts for 86·2 per cent of the total eroded agricultural land. In the farmland with soil erosion, 22·5 per cent have a slope of < 5 degrees, 20·3 per cent have a slope of 5∼10 degrees, and 57·1 per cent have a slope of > 10 degrees. On gentle slopes with less than 5 degrees inclination, some 6 per cent of the farmland had strong (5000∼8000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) or very strong (8000∼15000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) erosion. However, on steep slopes of more than 25 degrees, strong or very strong erosion was reported for more than 42 per cent of the farmland. These numbers explain why the task of soil and water conservation should be focused on the prevention of soil erosion on farmland with steep or very steep slopes. A Feasibility Index is developed and integrated socio‐economic assessment on the feasibility of improving sloping farmland in 56 townships and towns is carried out. Finally, to ensure the success of the Grain‐for‐Green Programme, countermeasures to improve sloping farmland and control soil erosion are proposed according to the values of the Feasibility Index in the townships and towns. These include: (1) to terrace sloping farmland on a large scale and to convert farmland with a slope of over 25 degrees to forests or grassland; (2) to develop ecological agriculture combined with improving the sloping farmland and constructing prime farmland and to pay more attention to improving the technology for irrigation and cultivation techniques; and (3) to carry out soil conservation on steep‐sloping farmland using suggested techniques. In addition, improving ecosystems and the inhabited environment through yard and garden construction for households is also an effective way to prevent soil erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Revisiting classic water erosion models in drylands: The strong impact of biological soil crusts

Soil erosion and subsequent degradation has been a contributor to societal collapse in the past and is one of the major expressions of desertification in arid regions. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) models soil lost to water erosion as a function of climate erosivity (the degree to which rainfall can result in erosion), topography, soil erodibility, and land use/management. The soil erodibility factor (K) is primarily based upon inherent soil properties (those which change slowly or not at all) such as soil texture and organic matter content, while the cover/management factor (C) is based on several parameters including biological soil crust (BSC) cover. We examined the effect of two more precise indicators of BSC development, chlorophyll a and exopolysaccharides (EPS), upon soil stability, which is closely inversely related to soil loss in an erosion event. To examine the relative influence of these elements of the C factor to the K factor, we conducted our investigation across eight strongly differing soils in the 0.8 million ha Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We found that within every soil group, chlorophyll a was a moderate to excellent predictor of soil stability (R² = 0.21–0.75), and consistently better than EPS. Using a simple structural equation model, we explained over half of the variance in soil stability and determined that the direct effect of chlorophyll a was 3× more important than soil group in determining soil stability. Our results suggest that, holding the intensity of erosive forces constant, the acceleration or reduction of soil erosion in arid landscapes will primarily be an outcome of management practices. This is because the factor which is most influential to soil erosion, BSC development, is also among the most manageable, implying that water erosion in drylands has a solution.     

Soil resistance to interrill erosion: Model parameterization and sensitivity

Interrill erosion, which is less visible in the landscape than rill and gully erosion, may cause major sediment deposits in the lower part of cultivated fields. It is often associated with runoff resulting from sealing and crusting, and soil properties such as soil detachability or soil aggregate stability have been used to express soil resistance to interrill erosion processes, i.e., interrill erodibility. From a literature review including more than fifteen erosion models, we have identified three main methods used to measure these properties: aggregate stability and splash cup detachability, methods performed in the laboratory using only a few grams of soil, and standard plot methods that are based on field plot measurements. This difference makes the parameters involved in assessing interrill erodibility dependent upon the scale and the hydrological processes involved and difficult to compare. According to the literature, the sensitivity of actual erosion models to interrill erodibility is lower than the sensitivity to hydrological properties and rill erodibility parameters. This numerical study shows that erodibility measurements from the three major assessment methods give different results regarding the contribution of interrill erosion and show that the sensitivity of erosion modeling to interrill erodibility may in fact be greater than shown in the literature on global sensitivity analysis.     

The relationships between erodibility and erosion in a soil treated with two organic amendments

The influence of two organic wastes, cotton gin crushed compost (CC) and beet vinasse (BV) applied for 5 years on a Typic Xerofluvent under dryland conditions near to Sevilla city (Guadalquivir River Valley, Andalusia, Spain) on soil erodibility (K factor of the USLE and RUSLE) and soil loss was studied. CC and BV were applied at rates of 1780, 5340, and 10,680 kg ha⁻¹ (expressed as organic matter content). When CC was applied to the soil, erodibility factor (K) is correlated with soil loss, highlighting a decrease in K and soil loss when increased the dose of CC applied to the soil. In this respect, K decreased 17% in CC-amended soils respect to control soil at the end of the experiment, and soil loss decreased 36% in CC-amended soils respect to control soil at the end of the experiment and for 45 min and 60 mm h⁻¹. However, when BV was applied, soil physical and biological properties decreased. K decreased 6.4% in BV-amended soils respect to control soil at the end of the experiment, and soil loss increased 59.7% in BV-amended soils respect to control soil at the end of the experimental period and for 45 min and 60 mm h⁻¹. We think that this is because the higher level of Na⁺ (and possibly of fulvic acids) in BV increased the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and reduced structural stability of BV-amended soil, leading to higher soil loss. This explains the relatively higher soil loss in BV-amended soils. These results contradict many previous reports in which soil organic matter prevented soil loss. For this reason, the equation of soil erodibility (K factor of USLE and RUSLE) must have in consideration other aspects such as the chemical composition of the soil organic matter as well as the soil structural stability.     

Long‐term changes in the floristic composition and soil characteristics of reclaimed sodic land during eco‐restoration

The study was conducted under the “Uttar Pradesh Sodic Lands Reclamation Project” to examine changes that occurred in the reclaimed sodic land in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The study focuses on long‐term seasonal changes in the floral diversity and soil characteristics of the reclaimed sodic land over a period of 10 y. The changes in the floristic composition, plant density, and soil characteristics (microbial biomass carbon [MBC], pH, exchangeable‐sodium percentage (ESP), and electrical conductivity) were compared among the different study plots after different years of sodic‐land reclamation. The study plots comprised reclaimed land with rice–wheat cultivation; semireclaimed land under rice cultivation only and nonreclaimed barren sodic land. There was a significant variation in the floristic composition of the three study plots. Dominance in the floristic composition was shifted from monocotyledonous weeds in the nonreclaimed sodic land to dicotyledonous weeds in the reclaimed land after 10 y of reclamation. Among the soil characteristics, the most remarkable changes were observed in soil MBC and ESP during the course of sodic‐land reclamation. Soil MBC increased up to 480% and ESP values decreased up to 79% in the reclaimed plots with reference to the nonreclaimed plots. The soil amelioration was more pronounced in the upper layer (0–30 cm) as compared to the lower layer (below 30 cm depth). A positive significant correlation was revealed between soil MBC and floristic composition of the reclaimed plots. These changes in floristic composition and soil characteristics could be used as good indicators of the eco‐restoration of the sodic lands. The present study provides useful insights in understanding the temporal progress of eco‐restoration in the reclaimed sodic lands.     

Losing ground? soil loss and erosion in the highlands of papua new guinea

First impressions suggest that the risk of soil loss through fluvial erosion from land under cultivation is considerable in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. the climate is very wet all year round, The terrain precipitous, and people regularly farm on steep slopes. the Wola-speaking people, who occupy a series of valleys in the centre of the province, and who practice a semi-shifting form of cultivation, are nonetheless off-hand about soil conservation and declare that erosion is not a serious problem. This paper assesses the status of their assertions by calculating potential soil loss rates. It applies the universal soil loss equation to data on rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, vegetation cover and conservation measures, to compute likely runoff losses. the calculations suggest that, The steep slopes cultivated and wet climate notwithstanding, The local population's assessment of the dangers of erosion is realistic and not reckless. Although rainfall is high, it is rarely of an intensity sufficient to threaten serious soil erosion losses. the physical properties of the soils, which feature volcanic ash components and high organic matter levels, are such that they are particularly resistant to erosion. the staple crop of the region, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), also gives particularly good ground cover and protection when established, effectively shielding the soil from erosive rainfall.